


Doodlebug

by iammyownqueen



Series: quarantine drabbles [4]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25429441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iammyownqueen/pseuds/iammyownqueen
Summary: When Iris got the opportunity to write and publish an article from home, she jumped on it. Bart had agreed to watch the twins for a few hours while she worked. It didn't go as expected.
Relationships: Bart Allen & Iris West
Series: quarantine drabbles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1680538
Comments: 14
Kudos: 43





	Doodlebug

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a while guys, thanks for hanging in there. Enjoy the fluff, and feel free to comment!

Iris’s career had suffered greatly after having the twins. The media was fickle, a fact that he knew all too well. So, when she had the opportunity to publish an article from home, she jumped on it. Barry was working late, having to show up at court to give testimony, but Bart volunteered to take care of the twins on his own, which gave her a few hours to get her sources and start writing. So, she huddled in her secluded little office and got to work, with the sounds of all three of her kids playing and laughing as her background music.

Bart loved hanging out with the twins. They were even more high energy than him, which was saying something. He never said no when his grandparents asked him to babysit, which meant that he was around them a lot. He loved watching them grow up, and growing up alongside them. In a very real way, watching their childhood showed him how his childhood was supposed to be.

They were playing a very intense game of indoor tag (with special rules in place to ensure they didn’t break anything or set the carpet on fire) when he got light headed, which was confusing, because they all had lunch not too long ago.

“Gotcha!” Dawn yelled triumphantly.

“Yeah Dawn,” he said, disoriented. “You got me.”

“Your supposed’ ta go!” Donnie said, one step behind his sister.

“I know bud,” Bart said. “Just gimme a sec, okay?” Spots danced in his vision. He needed to sit down. “Why don’t we watch some tv?”

If the twins protested, he couldn’t tell, because all sounds seemed to dim at once, along with his vision. He needed to sit down  _ now. _ He took a few steps, hoping the twins were following him, but it was too late.

_ Oh no, _ was his last thought before his vision went completely dark.

Iris had just finished her list of people to interview, along with contact information, when she heard a loud thump in the living room, followed by the twins crying.

"Bart?" She called. "Is everything okay?"

When there was no response, she got up to investigate.

What she found was Bart, a pale and unconscious heap on the floor. She ran to his side, making sure he hadn’t fallen on anything and hurt himself further. Then, she glanced toward the kitchen and saw the mess on top of both of the highchairs.

_ He had fed them, but probably forgotten to eat in the process. _ She had been guilty of the same thing, except she could get away with it, being a non-speedster. She scooped the crying twins from off the floor and examined them quickly. They looked unharmed, despite the tears. She put both of them in the playpen. They would be safe there, while she helped Bart recover. Then, she rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a box of saltine crackers and a package of juice boxes.

She rushed back to the living room and moved the coffee table out of the way. Then, she knelt down and tapped his face lightly.

“Bart,” she said. “Bart. Bart, you gotta wake up for me bud.”

He opened his eyes groggily and groaned.

She smiled down at him. “Hey honey,” she said.

He tried to get up, but she held him down. If she knew speedsters, and she  _ did _ , it would take him a few minutes for him to orient himself.

“Woah,” she said. “Take it slow.”

“The twins,” he murmured.

“They’re fine. They’re in the playpen.”

They were still crying like someone had been murdered, but they were fine for now. Bart was her top priority right now. Speedsters were usually very good at maintaining their metabolism, but every now and then they slip up, and something like this happened. The last time Barry passed out was in the week after Wally’s death. Before that, it had been after a particularly long trial. He had worked hard as the Flash to put the meta behind bars, and then he had worked even harder as a forensics scientist to make it stick. It didn’t happen often, but it  _ did  _ happen. It was just another part of being a speedster. She had learned how to deal with the fallout a long time ago. The first time she saw it happen, it freaked her out so much that she almost called an ambulance, before Barry recovered enough to convince her not to.

After a minute or so, Bart tried to sit up again. This time, Iris let him. He cradled his head in his hands and closed his eyes. The room spun underneath him, and his stomach was performing flips. 

_ Some water would be nice right about now, _ he thought.

No sooner had he thought that than Iris nudged his arm. He looked up to see her handing him a juice box, with the straw already put in.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, sipping it greedily.

“There are more juice boxes lined up for you when you're ready for them. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Bart nodded, noticing the row of four juice boxes on the coffee table, already with the straws set up. He felt guilty for taking her away from her work. She shouldn’t have to take care of him just because he couldn’t keep it together for a few hours alone. He didn’t know what was up with him today

She nodded, but the concern didn’t melt from her face just yet. She stood up, and planted a kiss on top of his head.

He sipped the juice for a few minutes while Iris calmed the twins. If he was being honest with himself, sometimes he felt… past over because of the twins. He knew it was ridiculous and stupid to feel that way, but sometimes he did anyway. He hated it, but it was true. They required a lot of extra time and attention, and being a speedster himself, he often ended up being the person his grandparents asked to babysit for them. Even when they were all together, he ended up helping out. He loved the twins! He loved spending time with them, and taking care of them, but sometimes it felt like that was the only reason he was there. Sometimes it was just overwhelming to deal with.

He was working on juice box number four when Iris came back, starting him from his shame spiral. The twins were no longer screaming, which was nice, because it had been making his pounding headache worse. Iris sat back down across from him and touched his cheek lightly.

“How are you feeling?”

“Nauseous and gross,” Bart answered honestly. He felt better than he had at first, but not by much.

“You still look pretty pale,” she said. “Think you can stomach some crackers?” she asked.

He nodded and Iris handed him a napkin full of them. He ate them slowly, and she stayed next to him.

He felt like an idiot. It was his fault that he had passed out in the first place. Iris didn’t have to stay by his side, he could feed himself, headache and nausea aside.

Bart kept waiting for a lecture, but it never came. He was a  _ speedster _ , he was supposed to know how to keep up with his metabolism. It should be a bigger deal than she was making it out to be.

As the nausea went away, the dizziness did too. He felt better after eating several crackers, but he wouldn’t trust himself to run just yet.

“You have a little more color in your cheeks. How do you feel, doodlebug?”

“Definitely better-” he paused. “Wait, did you just call me  _ doodlebug? _ ” he asked, feeling hot blush rise to his cheeks.

She laughed at his shocked expression and nodded. “I’m trying out some new nicknames and I thought that one would fit you.”

“Okay, but why?”

She shrugged. “You’re the only one of my kids that doesn’t have a cute, mommy nickname,” she said.

His face felt hotter. “But I- okay.” Bart didn’t know what to say to that. He wasn’t young like the twins were, and he wasn’t technically her kid either.

Iris laughed. “Well, you definitely have color in your cheeks now. Why don’t I get you something with a little more substance than crackers?”

She didn’t wait for him to respond before standing up and ruffling his hair, before walking towards the kitchen. She glanced back at him before leaving the room. She smiled, and looked almost proud, which didn’t make any sense given that he had just  _ forgotten  _ to eat and  _ passed out  _ as a result. 

A few minutes later, Iris came out of the kitchen with some leftover stew. Upon seeing her, he got up off the floor and sat on the couch instead. He still felt a little sick, but he ate it anyway.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Iris said. “So, doodlebug, yes or no?”

“What? I-I don’t know.” He felt his face get hot again.

Iris grinned. “I’m gonna say yes,” she said.

“But why?” he was sure he was as red as a tomato now.

She shrugged. “Because it makes you smile.”

“No it doesn’t,” he said, smiling.

“Ah,” she said pointing at him, “Yes it does.”

“Shut up, no it doesn’t!”

“Whatever you say, doodlebug.”

He suppressed a grin, and he could see the satisfaction in her eyes.

“Alright, I’m gonna move the twins to their room,” she said getting up from off the couch. She crossed the room to the playpen, which was tucked neatly out of the way, but still in sight. They were being so quiet that he honestly forgot they were in the room with them.

He stood up to see them, but Iris interrupted.

“I got this,” she said. “You should sit.”

“I’m fine, really,” he said.

"I take one, you take the other?" Iris asked.

Bart nodded, picking up Donnie.

“Hey dad,” he whispered softly, trying not to wake him.

“Don’t call him dad!” Iris chastised, but because she was whispering, it didn’t have the same effect.

They carried them upstairs, and placed them in their separate cribs.

“Thank you for looking after them today,” Iris said when they had returned to the living room.

“I didn’t really- I mean I  _ passed out _ and I-”

Iris interrupted him by putting her hand on his shoulder. Then, she pulled him into a hug.

“You did  _ fine _ ,” she said, whispering into his ear. She hugged him tight, and he tried to ignore the tears pricking his eyes.. “We really appreciate everything you do for the twins. I know we’ve been asking you to babysit a lot lately, and I’m sorry. If you ever need a break from it, or get overwhelmed, just let us know. We can get Jay or someone else to fill in, it won’t be the end of the world.”

He nodded against her shoulder. They let go, and he quickly tried to wipe the tears from his face.

“You alright doodles?”

Bart laughed. “Doodles was never on the table,” he said. “What’s with you and this nickname thing anyway?”

She shrugged. “Like I said, you’re the only one of my babies without a silly nickname like that.”

“I mean, I’m not really..”

“I know you’re not a  _ baby _ , Bart, and I know I never knew you as one, but I still think of you as one of my babies. Is that okay?”

He nodded and enveloped her in another hug.

“You’re a really good big brother to them, you know that?”

He hugged her tighter. “Thanks.”

“You do like being called doodlebug, right?”

“I- just don’t call me that in front of Barry,” he said.

Iris smiled. He was trying to act coy, but she could tell he loved it.

“We’ll see,” she said, smiling softly.

**Author's Note:**

> She 100% calls him Doodlebug in front of Barry at some point.
> 
> Should I have updated any of my other fics instead of writing another oneshot? probably. Do I care? not really.


End file.
